EMDR (Eye Movement Desentization & Reprocessing)
To Watch a Video with Basic EMDR Information Click Here.
EMDR accelerates the treatment of a wide range of conditions and self esteem issues related to both upsetting past events and present life conditions. Controlled studies of victims of Vietnam combat, rape, molestation, accident, catastrophic loss and natural disaster indicate that the method is capable of a rapid desensitization of traumatic memories, including a change in thought processes and a significant reduction of client symptoms (e.g., emotional distress, intrusive thoughts, flashbacks and nightmares.) The Common Ground Team also utilizes EMDR for general anxiety reduction, and development of positive resources.
The Treatment Experience
As with all therapy the first few sessions will be laying a foundation by getting to know each other and building a trusting relationship. The first step in trauma treatment is then begun by "resourcing". This helps the client to experience calm, stabilize, and tolerate difficult feelings and memories. To begin EMDR processing, the client is asked to call up the trauma in the forms of disturbing images, sensations, emotions and beliefs about the self. Using the eye movements or other modes, the therapist helps the client to move through these initial disturbances toward less disturbing and intrusive memories and more positive beliefs, e.g. "I did the best I could under the circumstances." Self-reported ratings of disturbance and belief are obtained from the client at both the beginning as well as the end of each session so that both therapist and client can see how the process is going.
It's good to keep in mind that most clients experience a "learning curve" regarding this new way of getting help especially is they are used to talk therapy. Results can take a while-although at times they can be surprisingly rapid and far-reaching. A recent study financed by Kaiser Permanente revealed that EMDR was twice as effective in half the amount of time compared to the standard traditional care. However, clients and clinicians should note that EMDR is not a race. While many people show dramatic responses in a short amount of time, there are also those who will progress more slowly and that the slower progression is not abnormal. Just as in any therapy, we all progress at the rate appropriate to the individual and the situation.
It is also important to know that EMDR does not solely consist of eye movements and rating scales! These will be interspersed with talking or debriefing, in many sessions; there will be some sessions of only talking, as needed. Finally it must be noted that EMDR therapy is not appropriate for use with all clients. Each person must be evaluated individually to determine the best course of treatment, with or without the use of EMDR.
The method actually consists of eight phases and numerous procedural elements that all contribute to its effectiveness. Far from being viewed as a panacea, EMDR should be used only within a comprehensive treatment plan by a licensed and trained clinician who is experienced in working with the targeted population.
* Hypnosis * A miracle cure
* A quick fix * A "technique"
* "Mind control" * A "simple treatment" that anyone can learn.
What some well-know psychotherapists and researchers say:
"EMDR assists survivors in the immediate aftermath of violent trauma by breaking through the walls of denial, shock, grief and anger. Ideal for those who have been unable to forget past traumatic life events, as it allow for a rapid processing of even deeply rooted memories, giving individuals back control of their lives and their emotions." -Dusty Bowencamp, RN CTR, Disaster Mental Health, American Red Cross
"EMDR is a significant component of treatment in the Trauma Recovery Program at the Menninger Clinic."- Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic
"EMDR is a powerful new tool for relieving human suffering; its study opens new doors to our understanding of the mind. It is one of the most significant advances since the introduction of psychopharmacologic drugs."- Steven Lazrove, M.D., Yale University
"EMDR is one of the newest and most promising methods that has arisen in the last 10-20 years. EMDR attends to the client as a complex and multifaceted person."-Arnold A. Lazarus, Ph.D., A.B.P.P., Rutgers University
"EMDR quickly opens new windows on reality, allowing people to see solutions within themselves that they never knew were there. And it's a therapy where the client is very much in charge, which can be particularly meaningful when people are recovering from having their power taken away by abuse and violation."-Laura S. Brown, Ph.D., University of Washington
"EMDR is the most revolutionary, important method to emerge in psychotherapy in decades."-Herbert Fensterheim, Ph.D., Cornell University
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